Apr. 21: Mesa Drive-In, Pueblo CO

It’s Day 111 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. It was a long drive, about 4 1/2 hours, all along US 50 from the South Drive-In Theatre in Dodge City KS to the Mesa Drive-In in Pueblo CO.

The Mesa opened as a single-screen drive-in in 1951. Chuck and Marianne James bought it in 1994, then added two screens to celebrate its 50th year.

When the Mesa added two screens in 2000, it took the unusual tactic of buying them used. Two other Colorado drive-ins had recently closed, the Lake Estes in Estes Park and the Pines in Loveland, but their screens live on in Pueblo.

The Pueblo Chieftain ran a fine article on the Mesa just a few weeks ago, focusing largely on manager Mark Lovato and the nuts and bolts of operating the place. Important, mundane stuff like the dozens of cases of food needed every weekend. “We went through 20 cases of hamburgers and I had to buy 48 extra (burgers) for (Sunday),” Lovato said. “We went through 250 pounds of popcorn in two days.”

There’s a reason they go through so many hamburgers – they’re that good, and a lot of repeat customers (like me) know about them. I was so glad to be back here to enjoy one with a choice of movies even though I’d seen all three already. At least it was only my second dance with Beauty and the Beast.

Miles Today / Total:  270 / 12176 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: Beauty and the Beast / 52

Nearby Restaurant: There used to be a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint in the little strip mall adjacent to the Mesa marquee. Now there’s a hole-in-the-wall Chinese food joint, the Pueblo Dragon. If you’re sick of superb hamburgers, or if the Mesa’s closed, the Dragon’s a decent enough place for take out.

Where I Virtually Stayed: More than most chains, Quality Inns have a wide range of quality in my experience. Fortunately, the Quality Inn & Suites Pueblo is one of the good ones. Fresh cookies and coffee in the lobby, a clean, comfortable room, and enough breakfast to continue through Colorado.

Only in Pueblo: Pueblo recently had what the Guinness Book of World Records recognized as the world’s longest painting. The levee mural project stretched three miles along the Arkansas River. It started as basic flood control, got tagged by graffiti, then was painted at night by Colorado State-Pueblo students. But by 2014, the levee was starting to buckle, and in 2016 it was rebuilt without the mural.

Next stop: Comanche Drive In Theatre, Buena Vista CO.

Feb. 25: Star Drive In Theatre, Monte Vista CO

Panoramic look at the Star Drive-In marquee and screenIt’s Day 56 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. The drive across the Continental Divide, from Montrose to Monte Vista CO, was cold and took about three hours, but at least it was dry. I found myself at a place I’ve visited several times over the last few decades, the Star Drive In Theatre.

The Star opened around 1955 on the west side of little Monte Vista. In 1964, owner George Kelloff got the idea to build a motel along the back of the drive-in. He started with 14 units, and they’re up to around 60 now.

Long ago, just before my second-ever visit to Colorado, I heard about the Star and the Movie Manor. Coming from the southeast, I passed the Ski-Hi Drive-In in Alamosa and arrived at the Star just before the sun went down. There’s nothing like sitting in a motel room, turning on the dedicated speaker, and watching a first-run movie through a picture window.

My next time through the area, the Ski-Hi was gone, replaced by an multiscreen indoor theater, but the Star and the Movie Manor were just as nice as I remembered. In 2003, the Star added a second screen which can seen from most rooms from a tight angle. (You could drive over to watch, but what’s the fun in that?)

Of course, the Star was closed for the season; it typically opens in mid-May and closes around late September. Fortunately, the Movie Manor is a comfortable place to spend the night even when there isn’t a movie showing.

Miles Today / Total:  171 / 7244 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 37

Nearby Restaurant: The Movie Manor’s restaurant, now called Smokin’ Johnnys BBQ, is only open Thursday through Sunday, so once again I got lucky with timing. Great barbecue ribs, beer, and big-screen TVs to watch some sports on evening like this one without a drive-in movie.

Where I Virtually Stayed: That’s a no-brainer. Even with the drive-in closed for the season, I was happy to stay at the Best Western Movie Manor, same as always. The motel has been around for more than half a century, yet the folks here keep it modern. A few years ago, they converted one of the first-floor rooms into a workout area. And now, this was my first stay here that included a free continental breakfast.

Only in Monte Vista: Just south of town, the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge holds an annual Monte Vista Crane Festival each March when Sandhill Cranes spend their Spring Break in the San Luis Valley. That’s when “the cranes perform their courtship dance — leaping and bowing while raising and lowering their wings, and making a croaking sound to one another.” Sounds like Spring Break!

Next Stop: Fort Union Drive In Movie Theatre, Las Vegas NM.

Feb. 24: The Star Drive-In Theatre, Montrose CO

It’s Day 55 of my virtual Drive-In-a-Day Odyssey. In the middle of a week of long drives over mountain highways, I was grateful for a pretty short, flat half-hour trip from Delta CO to Montrose, home of The Star Drive-In Theatre.

The Star opened around 1950 and has been Montrose’s only drive-in theater ever since. In 2013, there was a little concern a digital projection fundraiser fell short, but the owners got a loan to buy the equipment. The drive-in hosts an annual “Back to the 60’s Nite” in June.

When I think of the Star, I think of owner Pamela Friend, who has always been one of the most positive, friendly people I’ve met. The Denver Post profiled her in a 2010 article. “I’m told I put on the best picture in Colorado,” she said. “It’s a clean, clear picture. I pride myself on what we do. I’ve put on every show for 15 years without missing a night.”

Of course, the Star was closed for the season; it’s scheduled to reopen in April. I think we might be done with snow for a while, but the temperature stayed close to freezing all day. I think I’m glad the Star was dark tonight.

Miles Today / Total:  24 / 7073 (rounded to the nearest mile)

Movie Showing / Total Active Nights: dark / 37

Nearby Restaurant: The price for my lodging was so reasonable (see below) that I walked across the street to invest my windfall at Ted Nelson’s Steakhouse. I enjoyed a huge, perfectly cooked rib eye steak with a baked potato, veggies, and a salad. Add a glass of wine, and I was ready to face the elements again.

Where I Virtually Stayed: When the best hotel in town is a Super 8, that’s either a small town or a really good Super 8. Montrose is not that small any more, so it really was an excellent Super 8. I appreciate 24-hour in the lobby as well as the coffee maker in the room, and I was also happy to have a mini fridge. And with the usual bargain price, if every Super 8 was like this one, I might not ever stay anywhere else.

Only in Montrose: Just east of town, in the early 20th century, workers from the Bureau of Reclamation built the 5.8 mile Gunnison Tunnel to take water from the Gunnison River to the Uncompahgre Valley. At the time of its completion, it was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world. Memorial arches soared more than two stories high on Main Street in Montrose, and for the dedication on September 23, 1909, President William Taft pressed a button, laborers opened a makeshift gate, and water flowed into the valley.

Next Stop: Star Drive In Theatre, Monte Vista CO.